1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally directed to auxiliary or supplemental seats which may be attached to rowboats or small fishing boats and more specifically to an auxiliary seat which is both adaptable to various sizes and styles of the boats as well as being adjustable relative thereto after being installed. The auxiliary boat seat includes outwardly extendable opposite end portions which are engageable over the gunnels of a boat and which are resiliently urged inwardly relative to one another so as to securely clamp the frame in a mounted position on the boat. A slideable mounting bracket is carried by the frame and is horizontally or longitudinally adjustable relative thereto so as to permit a horizontal adjustment of the seat assembly relative to the hull of a boat. In addition, the mounting plate includes a central opening through which a seat supporting spindle is selectively inserted and adjustably maintained so as to permit a vertical adjustment of the seat relative to the mounting frame to thereby allow an individual to selectively adjust the height of the seat relative to the hull of the boat.
2. History of the Related Art
In various environments such as in fresh water lakes, fishermen commonly use flat bottomed or flat hull aluminum boats or rowboats which are normally provided with formed bench type seats fitted between the side walls of the boat. The use of the flat bottomed boats is preferred in many situations as they provide greater stability for the fishermen especially when it is necessary for a fisherman to shift body weight while maneuvering in the boat. Unfortunately, the conventional seats of such rowboats or fishing boats are generally situated below the upper edge or gunnel of the boat and thus require that the fisherman be seated at a very low level with respect to the surface of the water. Such low level seating is disadvantageous for several reasons. First, the angle of incidence of a person's eyesight with respect to the water's surface is necessarily at a lower angle and thereby a person is more susceptible to the influence of light reflection especially in early morning or late evening hours. Such reflections are a nuisance and often make it difficult to observe fishing gear, bobbers or lines which are cast at a distance from the boat. Also, the low conventional seating makes it somewhat difficult for some persons to lift themselves from the seat in order to effectuate movement from one point to another.
In addition to the foregoing, the bench seats of conventional aluminum type fishing boats provide no backrests or back supports. The flat bench seats can become very uncomfortable especially when used over periods of hours. Furthermore, it is very common that conventional bench seats will become wet by water deposited from normal fishing activities thereby presenting additional inconveniences for fishermen or others in the boat.
In an effort to improve the comfort of the seats commonly used with various types of smaller boats, various developments have been made to supplement the conventional seating of such boats. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,795,927 to Darwin, Jr. et al., an adjustable bass bench seat for aluminum boats is disclosed which includes a contoured seat mounted to a supporting frame that has extendable outer clamps which are selectively engageable with the side walls or gunnels of the boat. Although this reference discloses the use of contoured seats which would provide more comfort for fishermen, the benches do not provide for vertical adjustment of the seats so as to allow fishermen to select a preferred seated position which can be varied depending upon both physical considerations and weather considerations which may effect the movement or stability of a boat in the water. Further, once the bench is placed over the boat, it is necessary to screw the end clamps into engagement with the boat thereby requiring a great deal of manual effort to install the unit to the boat.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,113,804 to Ritter, another contoured and swivelable auxiliary seat is disclosed for boats. Although the structure provides for greater user comfort, it is noted that the unit is designed to be installed directly in an overlying and engaging position with the existing bench seat of a boat. Therefore, vertical adjustment of the unit or seat is not possible. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,821,825 to Bailey, another contoured seat for boats is disclosed which is also removably mounted to the existing bench seat of the boat. Again, no vertical adjustment of the seat is possible and the seat must be positioned in the area of an existing bench type seat.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,365 to Gibson, another type of auxiliary seat attachment for boats is disclosed. In the Gibson patent, a main frame is provided having clamps at the outer ends which are adjustable so as to engage the side walls of the boat. The frame does not provide adjustment relative to the side walls and therefore is limited in its particular application. The seat attachment also provides a contoured seat structure which is carried by a sliding support which is longitudinally movable with respect to the frame. Like the auxiliary seats discussed above, the structure does not provide for vertical adjustment of the seat relative to the boat. Also, the structure relies on frictional engagement of the seat supporting member with the frame in order to maintain the seat in a relativly fixed position with respect to the frame.
In view of the foregoing, although the prior art has made advances in providing greater seating comfort for fishermen and others with respect to fishing boats having flat bottom or rowboat configurations, such structures have not been entirely satisfactory in making available an auxiliary seating apparatus which is more universally adaptable to various sizes and styles of boats and which may be mounted and retained in secure engagement with a boat without utilizing elements which must be manually secured relative to the boat. In addition, the prior art seating devices do not provide the universality of both horizontal and vertical adjustment which would make it possible for fishermen to adapt an auxiliary seat to both a particular position and elevation with respect to the hull of the boat.
Some other examples of auxiliary seats for boats are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,736,155 to Harter, 2,299,178 to Reiter and 4,357,894 to Kirk.